


Boy

by vaarsuvius



Category: Fate/Zero
Genre: Gen, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-21
Updated: 2013-06-21
Packaged: 2017-12-15 16:17:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/851531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaarsuvius/pseuds/vaarsuvius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Boy," he calls you, again and again. Too good to be true.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Boy

"Boy," he calls you, again and again. Too good to be true.

It’s definitely too good to be true, but you play along with it anyway because if he’s playing along then you’re certainly not going to be the one to stop him. It’s nice having someone who’s not hypnotized calling you by the right words, looking at you straight on like a person instead of some kind of freak.

There’s nothing outright telling you that he knows, but how could he not? He’s been with you in public when the cashier told you to ‘have a nice day, young lady,’ been in the house when you’ve been incapacitated, curled up in bed with a hot water bottle, obligingly looked the other way when you needed to change, every single time. He knows. As for why he keeps indulging you... you’re not sure. But you let him. You let him drag it out as long as possible and bite your tongue whenever the urge strikes you to ask him why. 

You can’t keep it up forever, though. When the night air is hot and stifling and still and Iskandar, king of conquerors, invites you to ride into battle at his side, calls you equal and a friend, you break.

"I’m not who you think I am," you say, "I’m not what you think I am" and Iskandar seems only confused when you choke, turn red and yell at him "I’m not a real man, you idiot" said with a shaky conviction in the voices of countless people who have told you the same.

You’re crying again, you can’t see his face but you can feel the reassuring weight of a hand on your back and you can feel the rumble of his voice right down to your bones when he calls you "boy," and says, "you are nothing less than the bravest man I have ever known."


End file.
